Typhoon Dolphin’s impact continues to deepen across Hubei in central China. On Tuesday, authorities closed several tourist sites as the storm moved inland. They also halted construction work across vulnerable locations. Meanwhile, weather experts warned about extremely heavy rainfall across northwestern mountain areas.
Dolphin ranks as China’s strongest typhoon this year. Before landfall, Dolphin travelled about 3,728 miles, or 6,000 kilometres, across open sea. It struck China’s eastern coast over the weekend. Moreover, a massive cloud system travelled with Dolphin and drenched coastal regions.
Hubei Faces Alerts, Closures, and Heavy Rain Threat
Hubei has nearly 58 million residents and serves as a major production hub for cars plus electronics. Recently, two rare tornadoes followed Typhoon Maysak across Hubei. Those tornadoes killed at least 11 people. Now, the National Meteorological Center has issued an orange alert for heavy rainfall. That warning represents China’s second-highest danger level. Forecasters expect up to 250 mm of rain within 24 hours across northwestern Hubei.
Authorities also issued yellow alerts for Xiangyang, Huanggang, plus Suizhou because flooding and landslides threaten those cities. Consequently, officials temporarily closed several tourist attractions. Those closures include Yichang’s famous Three Gorges Dam. Officials also reviewed 107 major highway and waterway construction projects across this region. As a result, authorities stopped 26 risky projects.
Beijing and Japan Face Fresh Weather Warnings
Weather officials expect rainfall to intensify when Dolphin’s winds strike Hubei’s western mountains. Additionally, authorities issued a red alert in neighbouring Henan because flooding presents serious danger.
Beijing also faces storm effects despite sitting 1,000 kilometres away from Hubei. Authorities activated Level-1 emergency measures across four outer areas of China’s capital. From Tuesday night, forecasters expect over one-third of Beijing’s annual rainfall during the next 24 hours.
Meanwhile, Japan also faces a separate storm warning. Japan’s Meteorological Agency warned that Typhoon Chan-hom could move towards its main landmass on Tuesday. Therefore, officials fear landslides alongside powerful winds.
